INLS 705 Health Sciences Information – Spring 2014 School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill

Instructor: Emily Vardell, MLS

evardell@unc.edu

Class: Mondays/Wednesdays 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm in 208 Manning Hall

Office Hours: by appointment

Office Number: 919-966-3589

Course Website: https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/site/inls705

Course Description Prerequisite: INLS 501. A survey of information used in the health sciences disciplines and

professions: the organization of sources, current techniques, and tools for its control, including

online databases.

This course will focus on a broad range of topics relating to health sciences information. You will be

introduced to basic reference materials which are commonly used in health sciences libraries and

information centers. You will also explore print, non-print, and Web-based information sources to

respond to a wide range of information requests from health care professionals, researchers, and

consumers. In addition, the course will also explore issues that are critical to health information,

including health literacy, patient and practitioner education, complementary and alternative

medicine, and electronic health records.

Course Objectives

Describe, evaluate, and effectively use major reference sources in the health sciences field. Conduct strategic database searches utilizing various electronic resources in the health

sciences disciplines. Analyze health information needs and develop appropriate search strategies to fill those

needs. Understand the many roles that the health sciences information professional can play

across the range and functions of health sciences libraries and information centers. Understand many of the issues concerning health information with regard to special topics

such as health literacy, complementary and alternative medicine, and electronic health records.

Consider the implications of emerging technologies and social media for health information services and for health care in general.

Course Materials Primarily, reading assignments will be of web-based materials (e.g., online articles and websites

available in Sakai). The course’s Sakai site will contain PDFs/URLs for all of the assigned readings.

It is expected that you will read the assigned materials prior to coming to class. The PowerPoint

slides used for class lectures will be posted in Sakai under the “Resources” tab shortly before each

lecture.

There will be two recommended textbooks for the course:

Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources

in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. (strongly

recommended)

Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians.

New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Communication/Email

Please check the Sakai site and your UNC email regularly for general updates about deadlines,

feedback, and assignments. If you do not check your UNC email address regularly, please set up

email forwarding to your preferred email account so that you do not miss any notices or feedback.

Use the course’s Sakai Forums for general questions and comments. For urgent or time-sensitive

matters, please email me directly at evardell@unc.edu.

Email is my preferred method for contacting me outside of class. Please understand that my

response time may vary. I will try to respond within a 24-hour period, but in some cases it may take

2-3 days. If you need assistance with a more detailed question, please schedule a one-on-one

appointment.

Please identify your emails by course in the subject line (e.g., INLS 705) and/or the body of the

message. Put your name on all attachments and assignments, or you may not get credit for your

work. Please use a respectful tone and professional language in every email and posting, and always

remember that email is ultimately a public venue and can be read by anyone anywhere.

Assignments

Throughout the semester you will complete assignments designed to familiarize you with reference

sources, search methodologies, and health sciences reference service as well as give you hands-on

experience with health sciences information. All assignments are due by 9 am EST on the due

date (unless otherwise noted). For any assignments that are submitted late, I will deduct at least

25% of the maximum number of points for each day the assignment is late (i.e., I will deduct a

minimum of 75% of the total points for an assignment submitted three days late). Any assignments

turned in 4 days or more after the due date will not be accepted. The assignments may either be

shared in the Sakai Forums or submitted using the Sakai Drop Box function. Please use the

American Psychological Association (APA) citation style for all citations in this course (I have found

this online APA guide particularly helpful).

Database Evaluation and Presentation (post selected database in Sakai by 1/29, final

due date will be individually assigned, 10 points for presentation and 20 points for

written evaluation)

Students will select a database to evaluate and present to the class. Students should post

their selected database in Sakai by 1/29. Based on the selected databases’ focus, students

will be assigned to present at the beginning of one class session. These presentations should

last approximately ten minutes and should include an overview of the database, a

discussion of why the database would be useful for education/research, an explanation of

the layout of the database, and a sample search. PowerPoint or Prezi presentations must be

posted in Sakai no later than the day prior to the presentations. Please be prepared to

respond to questions. To support the presentation, students will write a five-page

evaluation of the database which will be submitted to me. Contents should be similar to the

oral presentation (e.g., overview, layout, sample search, etc.). For a general guideline of how

the article could be structured, please look at the Online Updates column articles I write for

Medical Reference Services Quarterly (link). The written evaluation is due the same day as

the in-class oral presentation.

Consultation Packet (due 3/5, 20 points)

Each student will receive an authentic consultation query. The student will locate a variety

of sources (e.g., books, databases, journals, etc.) that answer/address the questions or

issues contained in the query. The student should outline the recommended steps for the

patron including 3 to 5 recommended sources, search strategy suggestions in at least one

database, screenshots of the searches in the selected databases to illustrate

recommendations to the patron, and opportunities for relevant database instruction at the

library. The consultation packet will include an email response to the request, which should

be written using professional email standards (helpful guidelines can be found here).

Special Topic Final Project (ongoing, 30 points total)

Students design their own final project. Suggestions include, but are not limited to, creating

an informational website or other resource aimed at a population with specific health issues

or one created for a particular type of healthcare professional. Students are encouraged to

select a real-world type setting and design health information that could be disseminated at

that site. Additional guidelines will be available under “Assignments” in Sakai.

Special Topic Final Project Assignment Pieces Due Date Points Select a Topic and Final Output Type – please include your reasoning for selecting the topic and final medium.

2/12 10

Introduction, Overview, and one Resource Assessment 2/24

15

Special Topic Final Project Presentations (15 minutes for each student) –presentation on your topic, audience, and one to two highlights from your selected resources. Consider http://igniteshow.com/ as a model.

4/14 and 4/16 25

Reference question – each student must post a reference question about the special topic of their assigned partner.

4/17 5

Response to reference question – each student must respond to their partner’s reference question, including two to three recommended resources relevant to the specific question.

4/21 15

Special Topic Final Project – must include one additional assessment of a related resource. Post in Sakai a link to final project and a two-paragraph response about how your final project changed as a result of your in-class presentation and how the assignment/course has influenced your professional goals.

4/23 30

100 total

Class Assignments and Class Participation (20 points)

This includes, and is not limited to, class and group discussion of assigned articles, in-class

group work, database exercises (e.g., PubMed and Evidence-Based Medicine), online

searching, and participation in other class activities. Your ability to discuss the readings will

be considered a major aspect of your class participation grade.

Class Participation Rubric

(adapted from the University of Pittsburgh’s LIS course, Archives & Records Management)

Strong Needs development Unsatisfactory Preparation Arrives with notes,

observations, and questions.

Sometimes arrives unprepared.

Shows little if any indication of having prepared for class or having read the assigned materials.

Listening Actively supports, listens, and engages.

Shows effort to interact but at times shows disinterest in peer contributions.

Limited or no interaction with peers and may exhibit disrespect.

Quality of contributions

Comments and questions are relevant and show close reading and keen insight.

Participates constructively but unevenly. Comments and questions are at times irrelevant or lack depth.

Never participates or participates only when prodded and does so perfunctorily. Shows little interest in materials or peer contributions.

Frequency of participation

Participates actively at appropriate times.

Participates sometimes but fails always to be attentive.

Rarely participates and is not generally engaged.

Impact on seminar Moves discussion forward; class members benefit from student’s contributions and group dynamic is enhanced.

Sometimes advances discussion but at other times seems merely filler. Group dynamics are sometimes better (but never worse) as a result of student participation.

Comments and questions fail to advance conversation. Group dynamics are impaired as a result of student’s participation.

Please notify me if an unexpected problem arises for you during the course of the semester

(serious illness, etc.) and we will formulate an appropriate plan. If you need to miss class

because of a religious holiday, we can make alternative arrangements for this as well.

Professional Conduct, Preparation, and Attendance

In addition to the UNC Honor Code (http://honor.unc.edu/) that outlines university expectations

for academic honesty, I expect that you will demonstrate integrity and professionalism in your

participation in this course and in fulfillment of all of your course assignments. This includes

completing the assigned readings on the dates they are due, dedicating adequate time for your

participation (both in-class and out-of-class), and putting forth effort, care, and thought in

preparing for exams. This is a 3-credit hour course; thus, you should expect to spend about 6-9

hours per week on this course (excluding class time). I expect you to show respect for all members

of the course and all comments and questions posed by them. Please remember that our classroom

is a safe space for exchanging opinions and ideas in a respectful manner.

Grading Policies

Semester grades will be determined by the level of participation in class, mastery of course

materials, and the quality of written assignments.

Based on UNC Registrar Policy for graduate-level courses, both assignment and semester grades

will be H, P, L or F. Few students will obtain an "H," which signifies an exceptionally high level of

performance (higher than an "A" in an A-F systems). The following is a more detailed breakdown:

H = Superior work: complete command of subject, unusual depth, great creativity, or originality

P+ = Above average performance: solid work somewhat beyond what was required and good command of the material

P = Satisfactory performance that meets course requirements (expected to be the median grade of all students in the course).

P- = Acceptable work in need of improvement L = Unacceptable graduate performance: substandard in significant ways F = Performance that is seriously deficient and unworthy of graduate credit

Note: The above breakdown is for individual assignments. Final grades in the course will not reflect + or - designations (e.g. there will be Ps but no P+s or P-s).

Attendance

Attendance at each class session is expected. If you must miss a class, please make arrangements

with one of your classmates concerning note taking. It is probably a good idea for everyone to have

a "note buddy" in case of illness and/or if an emergencies occurs and you have to miss a class. The

instructor is not a good source of notes as her outlines may not reflect the complete class

discussion. The following regulations on a student's class attendance were adopted by the Faculty

Council:

Regular class attendance is a student obligation, and a student is responsible for all

the work, including texts and written work, of all class meetings. No right or privilege

exists which permits a student to be absent from any given number of class

meetings.... If a student misses three consecutive class meetings or misses more

classes than the instructor deems advisable, the instructor will report the facts to the

student's academic dean for appropriate action...

Special Needs and Students with Disabilities

If you need an accommodation for a disability or have any other special need, please make an

appointment to discuss this with me early in the semester. My contact information are listed at the

beginning of this syllabus.

Diversity Statement

In support of the University’s diversity goals and the mission of the School of Information and

Library Science, SILS embraces diversity as an ethical and societal value. We broadly define

diversity to include race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual

orientation, and physical and learning ability. As an academic community committed to preparing

our graduates to be leaders in an increasingly multicultural and global society we strive to:

Ensure inclusive leadership, policies, and practices;

Integrate diversity into the curriculum and research;

Foster a mutually respectful intellectual environment in which diverse opinions are valued;

Recruit traditionally underrepresented groups of students, faculty, and staff; and

Participate in outreach to underserved groups in the State.

The statement represents a commitment of resources to the development and maintenance of an

academic environment that is open, representative, reflective, and committed to the concepts of

equity and fairness. (Taken from: http://sils.unc.edu/about/diversity)

Please note this syllabus is subject to change.

Thanks to Claudia Gollop for sharing past syllabi which formed the groundwork for this semester’s

course.

INLS 705 Health Sciences Information – Spring 2014 School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill

Instructor: Emily Vardell, MLS

evardell@unc.edu

Class: Mondays/Wednesdays 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm in 208 Manning Hall

Office Hours: by appointment

Office: Room 016 Manning Hall, 919-966-3589

Course Website: https://sakai.unc.edu/portal/site/inls705

Course Schedule

Session Date Topic Readings* Activities / Assignments

1

Wednesday, 1/8

Introductions; Overview of 705 Class and Assignments

Familiarize yourself with the syllabus, Sakai site, and other course materials.

In-class Student Questionnaire

2

Monday, 1/13

Tour of Health Sciences Library (HSL) with Brenda Linares, Librarian and Outreach Liaison (info) (Please note location change: meet at the HSL User Services Desk.)

3

Wednesday, 1/15

Introduction to the Profession and Education for Health Sciences Librarianship

The organization of medical knowledge. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Pickett, K. M. (2008). Reaching beyond MEDLINE: A beginner's overview of electronic biomedical resources. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 8(4), 398-410.

4

Monday, 1/20

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday No class

5

Wednesday, 1/22

Indexing, Abstracting, and Digital Database Resources

Indexing, abstracting, and digital database resources. In Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Papaioannou, D., Sutton, A., Carroll, C., Booth, A., & Wong, R. (2010). Literature searching for social science systematic reviews: Consideration of a range of search techniques. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 27(2), 114-122. Optional: Younger, P., & Boddy, K. (2009). When is a search not a search? A comparison of searching the AMED complementary health database via EBSCOhost, OVID and DIALOG. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 26(2), 126-135.

Database Evaluation and Presentation assignment assigned, post selected database by 1/29

6

Monday, 1/27

Searching PubMed/MEDLINE (Please bring your laptop to class.)

Introduction to MeSH – 2014 (link) Wilkins, T., Gillies, R.A., & Davies, K. (2005). EMBASE versus MEDLINE for family medicine searches: Can MEDLINE searches find the forest or a tree? Canadian Family Physician, 51, 849-849.

PubMed exercises assigned, due 2/5

7

Wednesday, 1/29

Drug Information Sources (Please bring your laptop to class.)

Drug information sources. In Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Hochstein, C., Goshorn, J., & Chang, F. (2009). United States National Library of Medicine drug information portal.

Due in Sakai: Post selected database for Database Evaluation and Presentation assignment

Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 28(2), 154.

8

Monday, 2/3

History Sources Guest speaker: Dawne Lucas, Special Collections Librarian (HSL) (info) (Please note location change: meet in Room 328 at the Health Sciences Library.)

History sources. In Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Burke, C., Greenberg, S., & Ahmed, T. (2007). Serving our colleagues: Reference and history of medicine services from the national library of medicine. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 26(1), 73-80. Review the History of Medicine repository links available in Sakai

9

Wednesday, 2/5

Medical and Health Statistics

Medical and health statistics. In Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Consultation Packet assigned, due 3/5

10

Monday, 2/10

Health Sciences Information for Practitioners Guest speaker: Mellanye Lackey, Public Health Liaison and Director of Global Health Initiatives (HSL) (info)

Ford, J. & Korjonen, H. (2012). Information needs of public health practitioners: A review of the literature. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 29, 260-273.

11

Wednesday, 2/12

Information Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response

Hochstein, C., Arnesen, S., Goshorn, J., & Szczur, M. (2008). Selected Resources for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response from the United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 27(1), 1-20. Featherstone, R. M., Boldt, R. G., Torabi, N., & Konrad, S. (2009). Provision of pandemic disease

Due in Sakai: Post selected topic and output type for Special Topic Final Project

information by health sciences librarians: a multisite comparative case series. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 100(2), 104-112. NLM Disaster and Information Management Research Center (link)

12

Monday, 2/17

Consumer Health Information: Sources, Users, and Information Quality Guest speaker: Christie Silbajoris, Consumer Health and Patient Education Librarian and Director of NC Health Info (HSL) (info)

Smith, K. H., & Mayer, S. (2009). The "big three" consumer health sites and web technology trends: MedlinePlus, healthfinder, and CAPHIS. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 13(3), 213-222. Sillence, E., Briggs, P., Harris, P., & Fishwick, L. (2007). Going online for health advice: Changes in usage and trust practices over the last five years. Interacting with Computers, 19(3), 397-406. MedlinePlus (link) NC Health Info (link)

13

Wednesday, 2/19

Consumer Health Information 2.0

Pairs will be assigned to read one of the following articles: Patient and parent views on

a web 2.0 diabetes portal--the management tool, the generator, and the gatekeeper: Qualitative study

Sharing health data for better outcomes on PatientsLikeMe

Solo librarian and outreach to hospital staff using web 2.0 technologies

Blog-based applications and health information: Two case studies that illustrate important questions for consumer health informatics (CHI) research

Small group discussions

14

Monday, 2/24

Alternative and Complementary Therapies (Please bring your laptop to class.)

Boehm, K., Raak, C., Vollmar, H. C., & Ostermann, T. (2010). An overview of 45 published database resources for complementary and alternative medicine. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 27(2), 93-105.

Due: Introduction, Overview, and one Resource Assessment for Special Topic Final Project

15

Wednesday, 2/26

Health Sciences Librarianship

Health sciences librarians and health informatics. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Funk, M.E. (2013). Our words, our story: a textual analysis of articles published in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association/Journal of the Medical Library Association from 1961 to 2010. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 101(1): 12-20. (video version) ALA Reference and User Services Association’s "Guidelines for Medical, Legal, Business Responses at General Reference Desks” (link) Optional: Harris, R., Henwood, F., Marshall, A., & Burdett, S. (2010). "I'm not sure if that's what their job is": Consumer health information and emerging "healthwork" roles in the public library. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 49(3), 239-252.

16

Monday, 3/3

Clinical Librarianship Guest speaker: Karen Crowell, Clinical Information Specialist (HSL) (info)

Esparza, J. (2010). Clinical library services: Outreach to enhance patient care. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 10(2), 170-180.

17

Wednesday, 3/5

Digital Libraries in Health Sciences Information Guest speaker: Nadine Dexter, Director of the University of Central Florida Harriet Ginsburg Health Sciences Library (info)

Shearer, B. S., Klatt, C., & Nagy, S. P. (2009). Development of a new academic digital library: A study of usage data of a core medical electronic journal collection. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 97(2), 93-101. Lingle, V. A., & Robinson, C. K. (2009). Conversion of an academic health sciences library to a near-total electronic library: Part 1. Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 6(3), 193-210.

Due: Consultation packet

18

Monday, 3/10

Spring break No class

19

Wednesday, 3/12

Spring break No class

20

Monday, 3/17

No class In Sakai: Locate and post information about a grant opportunity geared towards medical librarians. Outline a very brief project description that fits the grant guidelines.

21

Wednesday, 3/19

Collection Development in Health Sciences Librarianship Guest speaker: Susan Swogger, Collections Development Librarian (HSL) (info)

Journal collection development: challenges, issues and strategies. In Wood, M.S. (Ed.). (2008). Introduction to health sciences librarianship. New York, NY: Haworth Press. Monographic and digital resource collection development. In Wood, M.S. (Ed.). (2008). Introduction to health sciences librarianship. New York, NY: Haworth Press. Optional:

Shedlock, J., & Walton, L. J. (2006). Developing a virtual community for health sciences library book selection: Doody's core titles. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 94(1), 61-66.

22

Monday, 3/24

Grant Sources Guest speaker

TBA by guest speaker Grant Sources. In Boorkman, J. A., Huber, J. T., & Blackwell, J. (Eds.). (2008). Introduction to reference sources in the health sciences (5th ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

23

Wednesday, 3/26

Health Informatics How informatics impacts modern healthcare. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Major application areas. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

24

Monday, 3/31

Evidence-Based Medicine

Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine “Introduction to EBM” (link) Review the Glossary of EBM terms as well (link)

Evidence-Based Medicine exercises assigned, due 4/7

25

Wednesday, 4/2

Electronic Health Records I

The electronic health record. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Kim, E., Stolyar, A., Lober, W. B., Herbaugh, A. L., Shinstrom, S. E., Zierler, B. K., Soh, C. B., & Kim, Y. (2009). Challenges to using an electronic personal health record by a low-income elderly population. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11(4): e44.

26

Monday, 4/7

Electronic Health Records II Guest speaker: Rachel Walden, Knowledge Management Program Manager, Vanderbilt University Eskind Biomedical Library (info)

Wynia, M., & Dunn, K. (2010). Dreams and nightmares: Practical and ethical issues for patients and physicians using personal health records. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics : A Journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 38(1), 64-73. Detmer, D., Bloomrosen, M., Raymond, B., & Tang, P. (2008). Integrated personal health records: Transformative tools for consumer-centric care. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 8, 45.

Evidence-Based Medicine Exercise Due

27

Wednesday, 4/9

Healthcare Information Management Systems Knowledge Management

Healthcare information management systems. In Cleveland, A. D. & Cleveland, D. B. (Eds.). (2009). Health informatics for medical librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Revere, D., Turner, A. M., Madhavan, A., Rambo, N., Bugni, P. F., Kimball, A., & Fuller, S. S. (2007). Understanding the information needs of public health practitioners: A literature review to inform design of an interactive digital knowledge management system. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 40(4), 410-421. Lee, C. S., Goh, D. H., & Chua, A. Y. K. (2010). An analysis of knowledge management mechanisms in healthcare portals. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 42(1), 20-44.

28

Monday, 4/14

Special Topic Final Project Presentations

Due: Special Topic Final Project Presentations.

Post link to presentation on Sakai.

29

Wednesday, 4/16

Special Topic Final Project Presentations

Due in Sakai: Ask a reference question to your assigned partner regarding his/her special topic, due 4/17.

30

Monday, 4/21

No class Due in Sakai: Respond to your special topic reference question by 5:30 pm.

31

Wednesday, 4/23

Last day of class! Wrap-up and Review

Special Topic Final Project due 4/23

*Most readings are available in Sakai.

Please note this course schedule is subject to change. Thanks to Claudia Gollop for sharing past syllabi

which formed the groundwork for this semester’s course.